Many of you will already know that I’m a big fan of Jenny O’Brien and she is my go-to romance author whenever I need something that will emotionally ruin me as a human being. When she released her new children’s series, I was keen to see how her skills translated into this very different genre. I’m obviously not the intended age group (7-13 year olds) but I’m a curious creature.

So far, there are two books in this new Dai Monday series:

Brainy Boy

Dai Monday is being bullied, but what does he expect with a name like Die! He doesn’t think life can get any worse and then it does.

He’s sent on a mission to find the last Welsh Princess of Wales’s crown by the ghost of King Arthur – a crown that’s been missing for centuries.

Granny’s Gone AWOL

Some Grannies are amazing at just being grannies. But not Granny Gosh. Granny Gosh thinks nothing of roaring around Guernsey on her Harley Davidson with her purple dreadlocks and Doc Martens.

But one day Granny gets old and the next…boom…she’s disappeared into thin air or have aliens swooped down to get her?

Dai Monday and his best friend, Win, soon go on a granny hunt. It’s all going well until the ghost of King Arthur shows up and starts interfering…

So my rating for both books is an unsurprising:

Yeah, no surprises there. O’Brien is a fantastic author when it comes to romance fiction and her children’s fiction is living up to her reputation.

I absolutely loved these stories and her characterisation. As with her other work, our main character isn’t the perfect hero most writer’s aspire for. Instead he’s a unique little boy with his own little quirks, captured in a first person narrative that makes them both understandable and relatable. We’re talking The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The first book, Brainy Boy, is definitely different and sets itself apart from a lot of what’s in the market at the moment. I love the way O’Brien characterises and builds upon that. We’re then introduced to Dai’s best friend Win and their troublesome school life that’s filled with the perilous difficulties of dodging bullies and doing well in class.

It’s not until the adventure really takes off do we see O’Brien in her element. I don’t want to give the story away, so I’ll move onto the sequel.

Witty, fun and engaging are three popular words used to review these books on Amazon and the sequel is no different. Written to raise funds Ernie’s Angels, this book is even more outrageous and enjoyable than the first. This time with new colourful characters, included Granny Gosh, and a whirlwind adventure that sweeps us away.

If you’re looking for a new children’s series, then I think you’ve found it right here. You can buy both books on Amazon, and did I mention Granny’s Gone AWOL is a fundraiser??